M-Brew

I want to believe. In extraterrestrial life, and also that $10.55 for a pasty is a legitimate price. However, I cannot believe in the latter anymore.

I already had a negative bias toward M-Brew pasties after my first experience there in which it took an hour for me to receive it. But my experience after that, and the one related to this review, will be my last.

M-Brew is a good spot to go to, just not for pasties. It’s a cool place. I’ve been there multiple times to enjoy their beers and maybe their pizza is a bigger hit.

Located a block or so off Woodward Ave. in downtown Ferndale, Michigan, M-Brew has not been around for a long time. They converted a house into a chill bar that has a good selection of beer to go with arcade and games in the basement.

Their pasties are said to be from a recipe that originated in the U.P. in Bruce Crossing. In all, there wasn’t that much wrong with the pasty, it was simply that it had a lot of other factors to deal with.

Pricing isn’t a huge deal for The Pasty Guy, but when it costs more than 10 bucks — often twice as much as other places — you’re putting your pasty in a deep, dark hole.

The first time I visited M-Brew, it took close to an hour to get my pasty. The second time, I called ahead so this wouldn’t happen and it still took 20 minutes for them to heat it up. That’s fine, but… that’s not good enough.

The crust was more or less a piecrust. Its edges brown and crispy, while the inner part thin, flimsy and not supporting much. Compared with other places in the area, it didn’t stack up at all, especially to nearby bakeries.

The vegetables were finely chopped, while the potatoes were cut at a larger size, which seems like a questionable decision. Potatoes are one of the driest things in a pasty, so having them as the biggest thing and often taking over a single bite, didn’t work out in the end.

The beef of choice in the ‘Bruce Crossing Pasty’ is steak, which is always tough for pasties as steak tends to dry easily if not cooked the right way.

Unfortunately in my pasty, most of the beef congregated in the center and didn’t explore the outdoor edges much. I’m not a big fan of beef that doesn’t like to travel.

The pasty also comes with gravy. Yes, gravy is good, but I’m not going to put that in my review. It definitely made it less dry, though.

This may be a harsh score, but M-Brew doesn’t survive on its pasty sales, so they should be all right in the long term.

Taste: 3 (out of 5)
Crust: 1.5 (out of 5)
Pasty Presentation: 2.5 (out of 5)
The Shop: 1 (out of 3) Took away points for price and wait time
Would I come back for Pasties?: 0 (out of 2)